Calligraphic Album Page (Primary Title)
Abdul-Rahim al-Harawi, Persian, fl. 1591-1625 (Calligrapher)
Associated with the teachings of Allah as recorded in the Qur’an, calligraphy has always been one of the Islamic world’s most refined and esteemed art forms. Once partof a Mughal album, this page features elegantly penned calligraphy in Nastaʿliq script surrounded by cloudlike borders, delicately painted arabesques, and floating cartouches. Its text invokes both Allah and the Prophet Muhammad. Its refined calligraphy is the work of Abdul-Rahim al-Harawi, a renowned Mughal calligrapher who left his native Persia at an early age and was employed by emperors Akbar and Jahangir. His signature appears at the lower left, together with the honorific title bestowed on him by Jahangir: ʿAnbarin Qalam (one whose pen is like ambergris). The inscription in the small rectangle along the left border states that the calligraphy was made in Lahore in A.H. 1015, equivalent to AD 1606–7.
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.